Katrien Jacobs

Project at the MaCI

January - June 2026

This is an artistic research enquiry into online deepfake creativity and its impact on gender, sexuality and embodiment. The research will lead to a book ‘Deepfake Bodies: The Sexual Politics of AI,’ contracted by Bloomsbury Academic. The book examines the commodification of deepfake technology, which has led to large quantities of sexualized deepfakes featuring synthesized bodies, facial expressions and speeches. These can project light-hearted fantasies, but have also enabled rampant practices of online misogyny and sextortion. The book will offer a nuanced analysis of this « rampant » technology within Chinese and European (online) cultures. As a strictly monitored yet resilient online media trend, how are deepfakes impacting democracy and the livelihood of sex and gender cultures?

In researching deepfake content creation over the last two years, Jacobs has made use of different research methodologies including computational big data analysis and ethnographic online case-studies. At MaCI she intends to develop practice-based or artistic research activities involving the creation of a video-narrative featuring a deepfake character.  
 

Her activities include an “Attachment Theory Workshop” to be held in the Living Lab domus and Intelligent Apartment: A small group of students (4 to 6) will be invited to reflect on their attachments to smart devices as to commonly available avatar and service bots and chatbots of genAI. They will bring along the digital devices and will use the domestic space as they see fit will using their devices. After a period of time in which students spread out in the space, they will be asked to reflect on their attachments to humans and “AI humans.”

K.Jacobs will also prepare a video installation and mixed-media performance presenting a deepfake character, a person who goes on a journey in the mountains and who is synthesized into “others” while being lured by sentient creatures in a body of water. The deepfake character is modeled after Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and also fits into a legacy of rêverie-walkers.